Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why it has decided to discontinue the Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) Scheme, given that the scheme will continue in England and Wales.

Ross Finnie: I announced on 14 December 2000 that the 10 ESA schemes in Scotland would close to new applications on 31 December 2000 and would be replaced by the Rural Stewardship Scheme which makes funding for conservation management available to farmers and crofters throughout Scotland. It is for ministers in individual administrations to decide their priorities so schemes which operate in Scotland may differ from those that operate in the rest of the UK.

  I am currently considering arrangements for continued agri-environment support for farmers and crofters whose ESA scheme agreements are coming to an end. I intend to make an announcement shortly.

Agriculture

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the main differences are between the proposed Rural Stewardship Scheme and the current Environmentally Sensitive Area Scheme.

Ross Finnie: There are four main differences between the Rural Stewardship Scheme (RSS) and the Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) Schemes.

  Firstly, there is no RSS equivalent to the ESA Tier 1 payment. Secondly, ESA Scheme payments are subject to limits: there is no limit on the level of payments available through the RSS. Thirdly, there is currently no equivalent in the RSS to the "Specially Identified Wetlands" prescription available in the Central Borders ESA Scheme. Finally, ESA Schemes only apply to farmers and crofters in 10 local areas in Scotland, whereas the RSS offers agri-environment support to farmers throughout Scotland.

Asylum Seekers

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information the Scottish Refugee Integration Forum has received about the percentage of asylum seekers holding (a) professional and (b) construction skills qualifications

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The Scottish Refugee Integration Forum completed its work with the publication of an action plan in February 2003. However, the Scottish Executive in conjunction with the Scottish Refugee Council has recently carried out an audit of the skills held by asylum seekers and refugees. The results of this are still being analysed and will be announced in due course.

Asylum Seekers

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any representation from Glasgow City Council seeking permission to make representations to Her Majesty's Government about relaxing employment restrictions in respect of asylum seekers, as referred to in The Herald on 28 May 2003.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The Executive has not received any such representations from Glasgow City Council.

Asylum Seekers

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to Her Majesty's Government about the economic impact of allowing more flexibility for asylum seekers undertaking employment whilst awaiting a decision in respect of their asylum applications

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The Home Office is responsible for all immigration and asylum matters, including whether asylum seekers are able to work. The Executive has not made any specific representations. However I regularly meet with the Home Office and discuss a number of issues at these times.

Children and Young People

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving for the provision of free or low cost summer activities for children.

Euan Robson: The Executive provides childcare strategy funding to support local authorities in developing local childcare strategies. Local authorities determine allocations at local level and may choose to support the provision of seasonal projects such as summer playschemes.

  Both the Scottish Executive and the New Opportunities Fund provide support to education authorities and schools for the provision of out of school hours learning activities. These may take the form of summer schools or camps offering a wide range of learning or adventurous outdoor experiences.

  As part of the local government settlement, £180 million of quality of life funding has been allocated to local authorities over the next three years. As part of this initiative £11 million has been allocated to the provision of skateboard and BMX bike parks, leisure access, sports, music and arts projects for children and young people.

  Under the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund a number of authorities are running pilot projects which provide year round free or low cost activities for children.

  Another possible source of such funding is through youth work budgets. The central purpose of youth work is educational and concerned with the personal and social development of young people. Activities, programmes and the processes through which youth workers engage with young people set the contexts within which these outcomes are achieved. Summer activities may be one of the means by which youth workers engage with young people. Executive support to local authorities for community learning and development, a component part of which is youth work, is £109.7 million in the current year, approximately half of which is estimated to go to youth work.

  A number of Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) provide financial or in kind contributions to projects that promote summer activities for children at either no or low cost to the participants. Activities funded vary across SIPs.

Children and Young People

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports an expansion of summer playschemes.

Euan Robson: The Scottish Childcare Strategy aims to provide affordable, accessible, good quality childcare for children aged 0-14 in all neighbourhoods. Local authorities are responsible, in conjunction with Childcare Partnerships, for identifying and addressing local childcare needs, which can include summer playschemes.

  The Executive provides local authorities with Childcare Strategy funding to support the aims of the strategy. Over the period of the Scottish Budget 2003-06 Childcare Strategy funding will increase significantly, as shown in the following table:

  

 Financial Year
 Amount of Funding


 2003-04
 £19.25 million


 2004-05
 £29.75 million


 2005-06
 £40.65 million

Doctors

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many doctors became an (a) Member of the Royal College of Physicians, (b) Member of the Royal College of Surgeons, (c) Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and (d) Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons by each Royal College in Scotland, in each year since 1997.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally.

Education

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many responses were received as part of its consultation on the draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill and how many of these were from parents and parents' organisations.

Euan Robson: The Scottish Executive received 252 formal responses to the consultation on the draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill. Of these responses, 55 specified they were from parents and a further 28 indicated they were received from organisations representing parents.

Environment

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether people on the west coast of Scotland will be in any danger from wind-blown dust particles emitted from the proposed integrated lignite mine and power station development near Ballymoney in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is closely monitoring the planning application for the proposed integrated lignite mine and power station development near Ballymoney in Northern Ireland. We formally responded to the Northern Ireland Office Planning Service on 13 May 2003, after considering the planning application and accompanying Environment Statement (ES).

  The Executive's response focussed on the potential environmental impact of any future emissions on Scotland. In particular, we commented on the acidification and eutrophication implications of emissions for natural ecosystems and the potential human health implications from particulate matter (PM10) brought by prevailing winds to the Scottish islands and mainland. We pointed out that the ES had not included any information on the potential transboundary impacts of the emitted pollutants on Scotland and asked that the ES be amended to address this shortcoming.

  The Executive will, if the planning application proceeds to a public inquiry, make full representations to ensure that due account is taken of any potential implications for air quality in Scotland and of relevant EU legislation.

Environment

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which statutory and other agencies in Scotland will be consulted in respect of the proposed integrated lignite mine and power station development near Ballymoney in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Ross Finnie: The Executive consulted with relevant experts within the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Scottish Natural Heritage when preparing its formal response to the planning application for the proposed integrated lignite mine and power station near Ballymoney, Northern Ireland. Our response was submitted on 13 May 2003. Executive officials are keeping in close contact with the Northern Ireland Office Environment Group and Planning Service in connection with this planning application.

Environment

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will appoint regional agri-environment project officers, with specialist ecological knowledge, in the light of such officers being appointed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Ross Finnie: In Scotland, there is a long tradition of providing financial support direct to farmers and crofters who obtain specialist ecological advice in drawing up their agri-environment proposals, and the Rural Stewardship Scheme currently pays applicants up to £300 for the costs of specialist ecological advice. I am considering extending these arrangements to the Organic Aid Scheme in the light of the responses to the consultation paper Proposals for Changes to Agri-Environment Schemes in Scotland which I issued on 5 March and the work of the Organic Stakeholders Group which is taking forward implementation of the Organic Action Plan which I published in February.

  Local assessment of individual applications is undertaken by staff who have been trained in conservation issues, and who have access to specialised sources of advice where necessary, for example, from Scottish Natural Heritage and the Royal Society for Protection of Birds.

  In addition, the Executive is progressing with the appointment of a number of area project managers whose main duties will include the promotion and delivery of the Farm Business Development Scheme and also promoting and advising on other SEERAD grants including agri-environment schemes within designated areas of Scotland.

Environment

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total budget was for Less Favoured Area Support Scheme spending in (a) 2001-02 and (b) 2002-03.

Ross Finnie: The budget was £63 million in each of the financial years 2001-2002 and 2002-2003.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive Scottish Executive what additional political and scientific steps have been taken following fisheries negotiations in December 2002 in order to make representations to the European Union that the management of cod should be separated from the management of other white fish species and what progress has been made in respect of any such steps.

Ross Finnie: The  International Council for Exploration of the Seas is examining the linkages between various stocks associated with cod. The data and its analysis should be available to inform discussion in the council working group, which reconvenes in mid-September.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what management options there are for white fish stocks in respect of replacing the existing days at sea scheme currently under discussion with the European Commission; what the Executive's preferred option is, and when the discussions will be concluded.

Ross Finnie: The Commission has proposed long term recovery plans for cod and northern hake stocks. Alternatively the type of arrangements operated under Annex XVII to Council Regulation (EC) No 2341/2002, or something derived from them, may be an option.

  There are issues attached to either of these options. The Executive's position is that measures are necessary to promote the recovery of cod (and hake) stocks: and that the range and detail of such measures need to be fully explored - including taking account of comments and advice from industry.

  Discussions and negotiations to that end are underway. New arrangements need to be in place for 2004, implying the need for decisions to be taken during the autumn and, at latest, at the December Agriculture and Fisheries Council.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive for how long the £10 million transitional aid for the fishing industry will be made available.

Ross Finnie: We have state aid approval to the current scheme from the European Commission on the basis that it will cover the period 1 March to 31 August 2003.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the decommissioning scheme for fishing vessels and what the timescales in respect of the scheme are.

Ross Finnie: I announced on 10 July the issue of decommissioning grant offers to the owners of 69 vessels. Offers of grant are made to the owners of vessels drawn from a reserve list if offers to those on the original approval list are refused or decommissioning bids are withdrawn and there are sufficient scheme funds available.

  Owners have 30 working days from the issue of a grant offer letter from the department to decide whether or not to accept the offer of decommissioning grant: and until 31 October to decommission the vessel. Those who are willing to surrender their fishing vessel licence may receive an advance (50%) of decommissioning grant, provided they do so by 31 August.

Housing

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will require non-resident property owners to register their permanent address on a publicly available register.

Hugh Henry: A Consultation Paper on a draft Tenements (Scotland) Bill was published on 20 March and the consultation period concluded on 13 June. The paper recognised the difficulties of identifying and contacting owners and asked for suggestions as to how missing owners could be traced. The Executive will be considering the responses to the consultation paper and bringing forward proposals.

Libraries

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address the issues raised in the Demos report, Overdue: How to create a Modern Public Library Service .

Mr Frank McAveety: The Demos report, although claiming to describe the situation in libraries across the UK, deals solely with the library service in England. Libraries are a devolved responsibility of the Scottish Parliament. Scotland's public libraries provide a high level of service to our communities in a number of ways and are already delivering some of the suggestions for improvement outlined in the Demos report.

National Health Service

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS consultants were (a) under 20, (b) between (i) 20 and 24, (ii) 25 and 29, (iii) 30 and 34, (iv) 35 and 39, (v) 40 and 44, (vi) 45 and 49, (vii) 50 and 54, and (viii) 55 and 59 and (c) over 60 in each year since 1997

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is in the following table.

  

  
 Year 
  (at 30 September)


 Age Group
 1997
 1998
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002


 Under 20
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 20 - 24
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 25 - 29
 0
 0
 1
 0
 0
 0


 30 - 34
 98
 75
 97
 88
 95
 81


 35 - 39
 601
 595
 597
 583
 616
 612


 40 - 44
 632
 684
 717
 757
 755
 800


 45 - 49
 594
 570
 579
 592
 647
 667


 50 - 54
 520
 551
 590
 585
 590
 596


 55 - 60
 334
 345
 366
 398
 429
 474


 Over 60
 161
 174
 176
 179
 159
 167


 Total
 2,940
 2,994
 3,123
 3,182
 3,291
 3,397

Non-Domestic Rates

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much non-domestic rates revenue has been collected by each local authority in each year since 2000.

Tavish Scott: Non-domestic rates revenue for 2000-01 can be found in the Parliament's Reference Centre in the Scottish Local Government Financial Statistics 2000-01 booklet table 11 (Bib No. 25640) whilst the figures 2001-02 per authority are listed in the following table. The figures for 2002-03 are not presently available.

  


Local Authority

Non-Domestic 
  Rates (£)


 Aberdeen City
 117,137,888


 Aberdeenshire
 51,690,434


 Angus
 22,849,877


 Argyll and Bute
 29,103,434


 Clackmannanshire
 11,231,183


 Dumfries and Galloway
 33,789,648


 Dundee City
 52,414,400


 East Ayrshire
 24,718,569


 East Dunbartonshire
 18,366,835


 East Lothian
 26,471,778


 East Renfrewshire
 10,534,728


 Edinburgh, City of
 232,671,396


 Eilean Siar
 5,359,596


 Falkirk
 53,436,121


 Fife
 109,935,963


 Glasgow City
 266,242,079


 Highland
 64,433,772


 Inverclyde
 20,277,936


 Midlothian
 16,397,023


 Moray
 23,230,172


 North Ayrshire
 38,961,538


 North Lanarkshire
 80,037,271


 Orkney
 6,788,122


 Perth and Kinross
 41,100,139


 Renfrewshire
 57,514,585


 Scottish Borders
 20,646,870


 Shetland
 13,119,678


 South Ayrshire
 30,838,961


 South Lanarkshire
 80,651,562


 Stirling
 31,850,893


 West Dunbartonshire
 25,164,072


 West Lothian
 54,755,781


 Scotland
 1,671,722,304

Non-Domestic Rates

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much (a) mandatory and (b) discretionary rate relief has been provided to businesses in each year since 2000, broken down by local authority area.

Tavish Scott: The mandatory and discretionary relief provided by each authority for 2000-01 and 2001-02 are provided in the table. The figures for 2002-03 are not presently available.

  

 Local Authority
 2000-01
 2001-02


 Mandatory
 Discretionary
 Mandatory
 Discretionary


 Aberdeen City
 14,066,287
 377,366
 15,114,699
 450,521


 Aberdeenshire
 3,833,796
 948,765
 4,258,192
 1,096,701


 Angus
 2,668,213
 303,509
 2,941,267
 366,186


 Argyll and Bute
 2,408,710
 620,592
 2,657,965
 708,806


 Clackmannanshire
 1,550,381
 88,411
 1,540,410*
 95,699*


 Dumfries and Galloway
 3,030,268
 678,013
 3,207,808
 2,455,708


 Dundee City
 8,315,328
 374,129
 6,935,138
 386,695


 East Ayrshire
 2,643,009
 214,083
 3,056,638
 256,565


 East Dunbartonshire
 2,067,226
 350,055
 2,242,835
 394,509


 East Lothian
 2,435,921
 486,501
 2,569,005
 578,525


 East Renfrewshire
 1,579,593
 215,225
 1,703,534
 242,909


 Edinburgh, City of
 33,306,417
 1,180,532
 33,893,083
 1,317,072


 Eilean Siar
 1,034,704
 186,972
 1,136,602
 205,115


 Falkirk
 3,579,885
 199,199
 4,187,703
 206,148


 Fife
 11,712,966
 520,219
 12,789,488
 566,131


 Glasgow City
 31,608,334
 1,634,117
 36,262,296
 1,788,959


 Highland
 7,470,105
 1,198,439
 8,307,167
 1,628,100


 Inverclyde
 2,771,704
 229,280
 3,102,866
 260,964


 Midlothian
 3,011,399
 293,321
 3,159,031
 305,641


 Moray
 1,649,866
 361,514
 1,765,172
 379,980


 North Ayrshire
 3,960,390
 424,534
 4,642,893
 480,554


 North Lanarkshire
 8,875,529
 437,540
 8,773,963
 450,302


 Orkney
 458,756
 174,743
 481,582
 208,917


 Perth and Kinross
 4,453,544
 674,858
 4,215,487
 757,915


 Renfrewshire
 6,445,286
 341,325
 7,083,191*
 350,394*


 Scottish Borders
 2,830,168
 461,947
 3,131,441
 1,390,394


 Shetland
 1,818,272
 394,137
 1,848,117
 401,842


 South Ayrshire
 3,453,580
 294,853
 4,270,338
 325,710


 South Lanarkshire
 7,793,600
 558,443
 9,215,901
 663,131


 Stirling
 3,316,364
 459,915
 3,596,802
 520,253


 West Dunbartonshire
 3,144,502
 133,149
 3,462,681
 148,376


 West Lothian
 5,775,554
 417,605
 6,644,470
 465,984


 Scotland
 193,069,657
 15,233,291
 208,197,765
 19,854,706



  Note:

  All figures audited except those marked *. These are notified figures as audited returns have yet to be submitted.

Registrar General for Scotland

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Registrar General for Scotland will publish his Annual Report for 2002.

Hugh Henry: Scotland's Population 2002: the Registrar General's Annual Review of Demographic Trends is published today. The report focuses on one of the major issues affecting Scotland's population - declining fertility. A copy of the report is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib No. 28557) or from the GROS website at: www.gro-scotland.gov.uk .

Smoking

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8262 by Susan Deacon on 10 July 2000, what clear evidence it has that the Scottish Voluntary Charter on Smoking in Public Places is working.

Mr Tom McCabe: An independent survey was undertaken by MVA in order to establish the baseline on which targets for the Scottish Voluntary Charter on Smoking in Public Places was set in 1999-2000. ASH (Scotland) and Health Scotland have commissioned MVA, on behalf of the Scottish Executive, to carry out a follow up survey to establish whether or not the voluntary charter has met its targets. A report on the survey findings will be available in the next few weeks.

Smoking

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive it has any plans to ban smoking in public places.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive has not ruled out introducing legislation to restrict smoking in public places if the Scottish Voluntary Charter on Smoking in Public Places fails to deliver a substantial increase in smoke-free facilities. Action on Smoking and Health (Scotland) and Health Scotland have commissioned an independent survey on behalf of the Scottish Executive on the uptake of the Voluntary Charter across Scotland. The Executive will undertake a detailed review of the Charter when the report becomes available in the next few weeks.

Smoking

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact passive smoking has on the health of staff who work in premises where smoking is permitted.

Mr Tom McCabe: The health risks associated with passive smoking have been identified by the Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health (SCOTH).

  I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-627 on 16 March 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search..

Smoking

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take on any health risks associated with passive smoking in the light of the comments made by the Chief Medical Officer for England in his annual report for 2002.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive in conjunction with Health Scotland are developing a public health awareness campaign on the risks associated with passive smoking. The Executive will also undertake a detailed evaluation of the Scottish Voluntary Charter on Smoking in Public Places, when the independent report on the uptake of the charter becomes available in the next few weeks.

  Improving Health in Scotland: the Challenge commits the Executive to review national tobacco policies with key interests and setting out a new action plan for tobacco which builds on achievements to date. ASH (Scotland) and Health Scotland have been commissioned to undertake the review and make appropriate recommendations. It is intended to publish the review along with the action plan later this autumn.

  In addition the Partnership Agreement commits the Executive to consult on an action plan to extend smoke-free provision in restaurants and pubs.

Smoking

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact passive smoking has on children.

Mr Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-627 on 16 March 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search ..

Smoking

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the assessment made by the Chief Medical Officer for England in his annual report for 2002 on the health risks associated with passive smoking.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive agrees with the health risk assessment of passive smoking made by the Chief Medical Officer for England, which is drawn from the Report of the UK Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health published in 1998.

Young People

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will consult on the regulations and guidance to improve throughcare and aftercare services for young people who cease to be looked after by local authorities.

Euan Robson: We have published the consultation document today. Copies have been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. Number 28674).

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer how many of the 456 design drawings supplied by Flour City in respect of the contract for the MSP block have been used without any alteration by the contractors subsequently appointed to carry out the works.

George Reid: : The design work undertaken by Flour City has provided an important basis upon which further design requirements have been built. I understand that a separate audit, to properly determine the extent of alterations which may have been made to the design work, cannot be carried out at this stage. Such an audit would divert much needed resources onto a non-productive task, to the detriment of the construction programme, with significant cost implications.